A geometrical model for managing surface productivity of U-shaped assembly lines

U-shaped assembly lines (U-SALs) are cellular manufacturing systems that, among other things, provide a remarkable feature for industrial cost efficiency: their effectiveness in space utilization. While the challenge of machine placement for labour productivity optimization is widely studied in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCIRP annals Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 479 - 482
Main Authors Gil Vilda, Francisco, Yagüe-Fabra, José A., Sune Torrents, Albert, Jauregui-Becker, Juan M., Wits, Wessel W.
Format Journal Article Publication
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2018
Subjects
Assembly
Assembly-line methods
Direcció d'operacions
Economia i organització d'empreses
Industrial productivity
Lean manufacturing
Producció ajustada
Productivitat industrial
Productivity
Sistemes productius
Treball en cadena
U-shaped line
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
Productivity
Assembly
U-shaped line
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Summary:U-shaped assembly lines (U-SALs) are cellular manufacturing systems that, among other things, provide a remarkable feature for industrial cost efficiency: their effectiveness in space utilization. While the challenge of machine placement for labour productivity optimization is widely studied in the literature, surface productivity optimization has been scarcely explored. This paper proposes an industry-validated geometrical model for optimizing U-SAL surface productivity. The model links the drivers for market, product and process with the geometrical design. Managers and lean practitioners can use this approach to make decisions for layout design. The model is particularly useful in cases where the cost of floor space is substantially high.
ISSN:0007-8506
DOI:10.1016/j.cirp.2018.04.047